Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav to serve 7 years for rape

Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav, left, is hugged before the reading of his verdict at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, Israel, on November 10. Katsav raped a former aide and molested two other women who worked for him, Israel's Supreme Court said on Thursday, upholding his conviction in a lower court and a seven-year jail term.

Uriel Sinai / Reuters

Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav enters the courtroom for the reading of his verdict at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on November 10.

Uriel Sinai / Reuters

Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav speaks with a supporter before the reading of his verdict at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on November 10.

Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered former President Moshe Katsav to spend seven years in prison after rejecting the disgraced politician's appeal of a rape conviction and other sex crimes.

The unanimous decision of the three-judge panel capped a long and sordid chapter in Israeli politics that captured the country's attention for more than five years and ended with Katsav becoming the highest-ranking Israeli official ever sentenced to prison. Continue reading.